The 2013 Tropical Trio Sweepstakes! - WIN BIG!

The Purex brand is teaming up with Honey Bunches of Oats and Outrigger Hotels and Resorts to launch a monumental prize giveaway: The 2013 Tropical Trio Sweepstakes!

One lucky winner will be sent on a tropical paradise vacation to Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach! Enter to win a chance to spend your days relaxing underneath the warm, Hawaiian sun and your nights exploring Waikiki’s never-ending nightlife.

Enter here to win: http://insiders.purex.com/tropical-trio?id=243

The Dry Idea Sweepstakes Is LIVE!

Purex is proud to introduce the Never Let Them See You Sweat® Sweepstakes featuring Dry Idea AdvancedDry Fresh!

One lucky grand prize winner will receive $500, while 10 2nd place winners will receive a $50 prize!

Click here to enter:
http://insiders.purex.com/dryidea-neversweat/?id=243

Yummy (and meatless) Club Sandwich Recipe - with Morningstar Farms

Just tried this tonight for dinner (had my brother and sister-in-law over) and we tried this. It was REALLY delicious! I thought I would share the recipe in case any of you wanted to try it as well. You would NEVER guess that this sandwich was meatless! Sooo yummy and something I will definitely be making again in the future. :)

Morningstar Farms Chik Patties and Veggie Bacon Strips combine in a meatless version of this popular sandwich.

INGREDIENTS

2 slices MorningStar Farms® Veggie Bacon Strips
1 MorningStar Farms® Chik Patties® Original
1 tbs reduced-fat mayonnaise or honey mustard
2 small slices multigrain bread, toasted
1 leaf lettuce
1 slice (1 oz) reduced-fat Cheddar, American or Swiss cheese
2 thin slices tomato

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook MORNINGSTAR FARMS Veggie Bacon Strips according to package directions. Cook MORNINGSTAR FARMS Chik Patties Original patty according to package directions.
2. Spread mayonnaise on one side of each toast slice. Top one slice with lettuce, chik patty, cheese slice (if desired), tomato slices and bacon strips. Place remaining toast slice, mayonnaise side down, on top. Cut sandwich into half. Secure with frilled toothpicks, if desired. Serve immediately.



Thanks to BzzAgent, I was able to receive a coupon for a free product to try. I chose a package of Chipotle Black Bean burgers but I loved those so much that I wanted to try other products from the line! I also received coupons to hand out to friends. Check out Bzzagent.com if you haven't already!

Emmy Rossum - Sentimental Journey Album Review

Before I listened to this album, I was only vaguely familiar with Emmy Rossum's music. What I did hear on the radio, I liked very much. I was excited to review her album and see what she had to offer. Before I begin, I want to let everyone know that I was sent a copy of this CD from One2One Network to give my honest review of it on my blog. All opinions here are still my own and not influenced by my campaign participation in any way. With that being said, let's get into the review! :)

Sentimental Journey, released on January 29th 2013, is a collection of classic covers that takes us through the American Songbook. On Sentimental Journey, the multi-talented actress and singer brings her stellar voice to songs popularized by some of the most beloved artists of the last century.

Emmy's 12-song 'passion project' is an emotional musical journey, with each song representing a month in the year. That was one thing that really inspired me about her album! "Each song needed to either lyrically or emotionally reflect the corresponding month," Emmy explained. "Some songs were obvious fits, like Summer Wind for June, and Pretty Paper for December. Other songs were less literal fits. I chose Nobody Knows You (When You're Down and Out) for September because, to me, the plaintive melody and lyric emotionally reflect the cold weather creeping in and the sense of melancholy we can get in the fall months."

Emmy Rossum is also an acclaimed actress who currently stars in the Showtime series Shameless with William H. Macy. She also stars alongside Emma Thompson and Viola Davis in the upcoming feature film Beautiful Creatures, which hits theaters on February 13th. That is one that I will definitely be seeing! :)

Here is the full track listing from the Sentimental Journey album:

1. Sentimental Journey
2. The Object Of My Affection
3. I m Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover
4. These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)
5. I ll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time
6. Summer Wind
7. Many Tears Ago
8. All I Do Is Dream Of You
9. Nobody Knows You When You re Down And Out
10. Autumn Leaves (Les Feuilles Mortes)
11. Things
12. Pretty Paper

I like the style of music in this album, especially the songs that seemed inspired by the 1920's. Emmy's rendition of Autumn Leaves is outstanding and definitely my favorite song on the album. I have listened to it many times! Emmy Rossum is a real talent and has a beautiful voice. I am definitely looking forward to more music from her in the future!

You can also check out Emmy's “These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)” Music Video at http://youtu.be/wS_NpTClXhA.

Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/emmyrossum

20 Mule Team Borax Product Review

Before I get into my review, I just want everyone to know that Borax provided a free box of their wonderful product so that I could review it. My opinions expressed here are my own, though, and not influenced by the company in any way. Now on to my review!

I will begin by saying that I had heard of Borax prior to being sent a box but never actually tried it. My Mom has been using it for YEARS and swears by it! She uses it in her wash but also said it works GREAT for keeping insects (mostly ants & roaches) out of her screened in porch. She just sprinkles a little around the doorway and ever since then, she hasn't had ONE insect in there. I will definitely have to try that when summer rolls around. During this test, I used it solely for the purpose of washing clothes. The box itself isn't overly fancy. It comes in a regular cardboard box. There isn't anything wrong with that but at first glance, it might be easy to overlook on the shelf at the store.

So what is Borax anyway?

~20 Mule Team Borax is 100% natural mineral from the earth. Once removed from the ground, it is washed, dried, and boxed for consumers.

~Borax is the common name for sodium tetraborate: a naturally occurring substance produced by the perpetual evaporation of seasonal lakes.

~Absolutely nothing is added. No phosphates, chlorine, or other additive chemicals.

What is hard water?

Over 85% of homes have what most people call "hard water." Hard water is defined as water that contains calcium and magnesium (ions). (just to note, we have hard water in our house!)

How does hard water affect laundry?

When you add detergent to hard water, some of the compounds attach to calcium and magnesium granules that settle on the bottom of your washing machine, eventually retreating down the drain without actually cleaning your clothes. What a waste of detergent!

20 Mule Team Borax naturally softens hard water!

20 Mule Team Borax naturally softens hard water, which protects your detergent - so it can maximize cleaning power.

Cleaner clothes than detergent alone

To boost your detergent, simply add 1/2 cup of 20 Mule Team Borax to every load, along with your regular detergent. (may I recommend Purex if you haven't tried it already?) ;)

You'll find that it naturally softens hard water and improves your detergent's cleaning power. It also helps keep stains from being redeposited back onto clothes

I had a great experience with the product. Since we have a problem with hard water in our house, I was excited to see if it would make any difference in our laundry. It really did! I added 1/2 cup of Borax to my laundry along with my Purex liquid laundry detergent. My clothes came out clean every wash and I was left feeling confident that the Borax was helping get my laundry cleaner than ever before! It might not be something that you can see on every load but you get that good feeling knowing that you are going that extra mile to get your laundry to look as good as it possibly can. You can buy this product at most stores and the price is VERY reasonable. If you haven't tried Borax yet, why not give it a try? You can search online for the MANY different uses this product has. It does a lot more than just softening your water to get your laundry cleaner.

For more information about Borax, where you can buy it, cleaning tips & and more, check out their homepage at www.20muleteamlaundry.com

"Welcome to the World" Sweepstakes - ENTER NOW TO WIN!

The "Welcome to the World" Sweepstakes featuring Purex Crystals for Baby is LIVE! Enter now to win!

One lucky grand prize winner will receive $1,000 and 250 2nd place winners will receive a coupon for a free bottle of Purex Crystals for Baby! Be sure to sign up once a day until February 22nd, 2013.

You can sign up here!

http://insiders.purex.com/welcome-to-the-world?id=243

Purex Baby Liquid Detergent Product Review

To start off, I just want everyone to know that Purex provided a free sample of their wonderful Purex Baby liquid detergent so that I could review it. My opinions expressed here are my own, though, and not influenced by the company in any way. Now on to my review!

When I first opened the box, the first thing that I noticed was the adorable baby on the front of the Purex Baby detergent bottle. SO CUTE!! The soft pink colors on the lid and label along with the white bottle gave me the impression that this product would be very gentle which is what I would expect from a baby detergent. Here is a picture of the bottle itself so that you can easily find it on the shelf at the store!

This detergent is, of course, made especially for babies since it is gentle for their delicate skin but still tough on those hard to remove stains. Purex Baby detergent delivers the same bright, white clean you've come to expect from Purex, yet is sensitive on baby's delicate skin. Plus, it has a gentle baby-inspired freshness that families with love. The scent is one thing that I really loved about the detergent. It was light but still noticeable. I prefer fragrances over unfragranced products so it was a nice surprise that this detergent did have a light, fresh scent. :)

The dermatologist tested formula guarantees to remove stubborn stains without hurting delicate clothes, like those adorable little footie pajamas and onesies! Like all Purex detergents, Purex Baby is specifically designed to ensure proper performance for all washers, from high-efficiency to traditional top loader washing machines.

It's no secret - Moms want the best for their children. Thanks to Purex, that doesn't have to mean spending a fortune on baby-safe products. Diapers cost enough already, so save some money on Purex Baby detergent, which costs a fraction of the leading brand, without jeopardizing quality. This product is currently available in 50 oz bottles with 100 oz bottles COMING SOON! YAY! Unfortunately, this detergent isn't available in every store. If you want to find a store near you that carries it, try using the store locator at:

http://www.purex.com/products/detergents/baby

Overall, I had a great experience with the Purex Baby detergent. Not only is it great for babies clothing but it is also GREAT for people with sensitive skin. My Mom and sister-in-law have sensitive skin so I let them each try washing a load of their clothing with this detergent. They didn't experience ANY irritation whatsoever. So even if you don't have little ones, you could still benefit from this product if your skin is a little on the sensitive side. When the clothes came out of the wash, they still had a nice, light scent on them. It wasn't at ALL overpowering which was very nice. Thank you so much Purex for giving me the opportunity to sample such a great product!